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  #1  
Old 10-05-2019, 11:41 AM
Axelorox Axelorox is offline
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Default Hygrometer recommendations

What's a reliable and accurate hygrometer I can use for my guitar room? Winter is coming...
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Old 10-05-2019, 12:54 PM
L20A L20A is offline
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I have a few cheap hygrometers.
One is from Wal*Mart and the other is a Planet Wave.
They are always within a few percent of each other.

With a humidity range from 40% to 60% you don't need to have accuracy within 1 or 2 percent.
My Wal*Mart hygrometer cost less than $10.00.
The Planet Wave was about $30.00.
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Old 10-05-2019, 12:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Axelorox View Post
What's a reliable and accurate hygrometer I can use for my guitar room? Winter is coming...
Hi Axelorox

I buy the $15-ish electronic ones from Walmart or Amazon.

You just have to be alert as to when you need to add humidity to your instrument. I feel zero need for museum quality accuracy.

For me if it's above 35% I'm good to go, and if it drops lower into the cases they go.



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Old 10-05-2019, 01:14 PM
vindibona1 vindibona1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ljguitar View Post
Hi Axelorox

I buy the $15-ish electronic ones from Walmart or Amazon.

You just have to be alert as to when you need to add humidity to your instrument. I feel zero need for museum quality accuracy.

For me if it's above 35% I'm good to go, and if it drops lower into the cases they go.

I agree entirely... I have 4 or 5 of the Acurite hygrometers scattered throughout my condo which sell for $10 each. I'm sure they're not calibrated but they are all within 1% of each other, so as LJ said, they are good for alerting me when humdity is high or low, out of acceptable range.

https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-Humid...ps%2C-1&sr=8-6
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Old 10-05-2019, 01:14 PM
DownUpDave DownUpDave is offline
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As much as I respect the opinions of the others above I have to disagree. I went through a number of inexpensive hygrometers. I found 4 that were all with in a few degrees at 45%. Then I bought three Caliber IV hygrometers, highly recommended by cigar enthusiasts and Burgess Violins.

When the humidity dropped to 25% in my house the cheap ones were all registering 40%, so basically useless. The Calbers all registered 25%. A Caliber IV costs about $30.00 (Oasis is the same unit). Cheap insurance compared to the cost of our guitars
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Old 10-05-2019, 02:18 PM
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I have two Oasis hygrometers, which can be calibrated, and 5-6 little cheap ones that can't be (I think they came in a six-pack for $15 or something. I bought one of the Boveda calibration kits and it turned out the Oasis ones were off by the most, but I was able to calibrate them to be the standard, and all of the others were within 1-2 % of those, so I figure I'm good. I keep a couple of the cheap ones in a case with humidipaks - one is high, one is low, so the average should be right. And I keep a couple of them near where my guitars hang. And the others sit on a shelf or occasionally I'll put one or two in other rooms just to see how the humidity is around our house. I should probably keep my guitars in the basement, but I don't wanna go down there to play, so not happening...

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Old 10-05-2019, 10:29 PM
Dbone Dbone is offline
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Sensorpush all the way...slight investment but relative to what is being protected it makes complete sense to me...absolutely amazing product....software is amazing, and I love being able quickly view the data and get a real sense around how stable the environment is or is not...

I managed to get 20% off when I contacted the company with a few product questions ahead of purchasing.

1 in the room, one at the headstock, and one at the sound hole. Done.
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Old 10-05-2019, 11:55 PM
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I can't speak to anyone's experience but I agree with Larry. I have one of these in each case and a weather station in my studio. As you can see the 4 for $15 hygrometer is within 2 per cent of the station. That's close enough to monitor changes in RH.

DSC06830.jpg
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Old 10-06-2019, 06:20 AM
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I've been using Acurite hygrometers for close to 10 years with my guitars hanging on the wall year round. There is often a degree or two difference among them, but as posters noted above, there is no need for precision. $10 at Amazon. I also use a humidifier in the room where I keep my guitars. Good for my guitars. Good for me.
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Old 10-06-2019, 06:55 AM
Deacon Blues Deacon Blues is offline
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I've gone through many inexpensive hygrometers.

My feeling is that if I am worried enough about making sure my guitars are humidified properly, I want to get a good one.

I went to my local cigar store. They had a choice of 3 different ones - each about 3" long and 1 1/2" tall.

I bought 2 - one for each corner of the room. I believe they were about 18 dollars each.

Very accurate and I've had them for over 6 years so far. Every 18 months I have to put a new watch battery in each.

No complaints and no problems.
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Old 10-06-2019, 09:28 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Deacon Blues View Post
…I bought 2 - one for each corner of the room. I believe they were about 18 dollars each.
Hi DB

I paid $15 for my hygrometers, and people call them 'cheap'. You paid $18 and think that they are 'better' than cheap ones.

My real question though is how does a room have only 2 corners?



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Old 10-06-2019, 10:04 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DownUpDave View Post
As much as I respect the opinions of the others above I have to disagree. I went through a number of inexpensive hygrometers. I found 4 that were all with in a few degrees at 45%. Then I bought three Caliber IV hygrometers, highly recommended by cigar enthusiasts and Burgess Violins.

When the humidity dropped to 25% in my house the cheap ones were all registering 40%, so basically useless. The Calbers all registered 25%. A Caliber IV costs about $30.00 (Oasis is the same unit). Cheap insurance compared to the cost of our guitars
I had the same experience

My info on hygrometry is HERE
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Old 10-06-2019, 10:54 AM
jschmitz54 jschmitz54 is offline
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I have an inexpensive Ink Bird, about $15. I case my guitar with Humidipaks. I check the case humidity when I’m playing and whether I’m in Arizona or Minnesota the humidity seems to be within a few % points. I also use a humidifier and a dehumidifier as much for my own comfort as the safety of the guitar.
My thinking is the reality is that if your within 5-10 percentage points of what is ideal for your guitar there’s likely no harm done to the guitar.I realize that many feel their guitars sound better at a certain percentage and want to be precise with their humidification. Often it seems that this discussion becomes more intense than necessary for the protection of the instrument but it is very interesting to learn and understand how to be precise when humidifing.
The important thing imo is to do humidification if your in a dry environment.
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Old 11-17-2019, 03:37 PM
greeman greeman is offline
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Default hygrometer

Well I bought 2 of the same brand and they were off. I bought a third of another brand to try and figure out which was closest...... now I'm really confused lol.

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Old 11-17-2019, 04:13 PM
chippygreen chippygreen is offline
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Caliber for me, but honestly I stopped checking them obsessively. Rule of thumb, when sweaters come out of storage, or winter heating comes on, humidipaks go into guitar cases.
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